Shifter for belts on cone pulleys



Apr. 17, 1923;

* 1,4520% G. J. HAUSMAN ET AL SHIFTER FOR BELTS on com: PULLEYS Filed Jul 1920 est 1 1,452,044 G. J. HAUSMAN ET AL SHIFTER FOR BELTS ON CONE PULLEYS Filed July 22 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 haw $0 W29" ijawwmeyo Apr. 17, 1923. 1,452,044

G. J. HAUSM'AN ET AL "#ISHIFTER FOR BELTS 0N com: VPULLEYS Filed July 22, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

: UNITED STATES GEORGE J. HAU'SMAN AND ALBERT J J' ONES, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SHIFTER FOR BELTS N CONEPULLEYS.

Application filed July 22,

' To all whom it may concern Be it' known that we, GEORGE J. HAUS- MAN and ALBERT J. JONES, citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvetive shifting of a belt from one set of steps to any other of a pair of cone-pulleys, such as are used on lathes and other machinery where variations of speed are to be made frequently. A. further object is to make such a device very simple, and comparatively inexpensive in first cost, easy to install and operate and keep in order, and which will be compact, whereby it may be within very easy reach of the machine operator, yet not be an obstruction or hindrance in the ordinary operation of the ma-- chine. Other objects will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

We attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a machine and its counter-shaft and the conepulleys thereon, with our invention, as We prefer to construct it, applied thereto, the device being at a completed stage of beltshifting operation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the head with the handle and its lifters mounted thereon;

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective View, enlarged, of the head and parts of the lower bar and lower rack, at an intermediate stage of belt-shifting operation, parts of the head being represented as broken away, to reveal the interior details; i

Fig. 5 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 4%;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the upper part of a modification of our invention;

.Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the complete modified device; and i Fig. 9 is a plan view of the this modified device.

For-purpose of illustration we have chosen a four-stepped cone-pulley 1 properly lower part of v mounted in a support such as the headstock of a lathe, comprising the base 2 and the 1920. Serial No. 398,121.

bearing-caps 3 and 4: at the right and left of the pulley respectively, and a similar pulley 5, inversely related to the pulley 1, in a countershaft structure comprising the hangers 6 and 7 depending from an upper support, as the ceiling of a room, some distance to the right and immediately at the left of the cone-pulley 5, respectively. Driving pulleys 8 and 9 are also shown on the countershaft, as usual; it being understood that this structure, so far described, is well known, and is merely an example of many kinds of such mechanism to which our invention is applicable, with such variations as may be needed to conform to the different designs of machines to which it may be applied. The largeststep 10 of the lower pulley 1 being at theright, the successively smaller steps 11, 12 and 18 are at the left; and, accordingly, the smallest step 14 of the upper pulley 5 is at the right, with the successively larger steps 15, 16 and 17 at the left. These well known details of conepulley arrangement are mentioned merely to facilitate the following description of the application of our invention thereto.

hortly to the rear and to the right of the smallest upper-pulley step 14 a bracket 18 depends from the ceiling; and some distance out tothe left of and to the rear of the lefthand hanger 7 is a similar bracket 19 depending from the ceiling. The two brackets preferably have their tops alined parallel to the counter-shaft, permitting their attachment to a single beam of the ceiling, should this run parallel with the countershaft, as is commonly the case; and the right-hand bracket inclines forwardly downwardly, while the left-hand bracket inclines rearwardly downwardly, to bring the lower parts of these brackets on a lineabout parallel with a line through the rear corners of the upper-pulley steps. These brackets extend down some distance below the bottoms of the pulley steps, with the front face of the lower part of the right-hand bracket 18 and the rear face of the lower part of the left-hand bracket 19 inclined so as to be normal to the just described line of inclination. The upper bar 20 is fixed to the inclined faces of the brackets 18 and 19; thus extending substantially horizontally just below the upper pulley, to the rear thereof, and substantially parallel with the pulleystep rear corners. This is a better guidance for the belt-shifting member, in accordance with our invention, than a guidance merely parallel with the pulleyshaft axis, which results in the belt-shifting member being at more variable distances from the normal line of belt direction 011 the respective pulley steps. The direction of this bar determines the-belt-shifting direction, by which term is meant the line followed by the belt, in general, whether the shiftingv be to the right or to the left.

The upper rack 21 lies along the front face 'ofthe upperbar 20,-withteeth projected forwardly for the major part of its length, beginning at the left end; and a U-shaped stirrup 22 straddles the upper bar'20, with its side members projecting forwardly thereof and fixed to the upper and lower edges of the untoothe'd right-end part of the rack.

21, which is of about the same height as the bar 20. This stirrup 22 is the right-hand guide and support for the rack on the bar. Projecting forwardly from the front of this part of the rack 21, and fixed thereto,is the upper belt-stirrup 23, embracing the rear stretch of the belt 24 that runs on the cone pulleys The upper box 25 embraces the upper bar 20; the upper and lower sides front bolt of the cap, and extends upwardly and forwardly, with a front-to-rear slot 31 in it. A shorter left-handlower bracket 32 is similarly fixed to the left-hand bearingcap 4, extending :upward the same distance as the right-handbracket 30, but not so far forwardly; and it is not-slotted, but merely has a bolt-hole in its front part. The lower bar 33 has a clip 34 screwed to its back, next to its right-hand end; and this clip 34 has a foot with a bolt through the right-hand bracketslot 81, by which it may be clamped at any desired point along the bracket 30. The lower box 35 is similar to the upper box 25, and similarly straddles the left end part ofthe lower bar, to the back of which its back is fixed; and it has a foot 86 bolted to the top of the left-hand bracket32. The lower bar 33 is thus supported just above the lower pulley 1 and just forwardly of it, approximately parallel with a line through the front corners of the steps of the pulley; and this inclination can be adjusted by swinging the bar on its left-hand bracket and clamping it on its right-hand bracket.

The lower rack 37 is similar to. the upper rack '21 in having teeth projecting forwardly for the major part of its length, beginning I at its left end; and the lower box 35 guides its'left end partwiththe upper and lower sides of the box, which latter have bearings '38 and 39, s respectively, for. the. .short lower shaft 40, journaled upright therein, with the lower spur-pinion 41 fixed on it between the sides andmeshing with the lower rack- 37. Theconnecting-shaft 42 has its upper and lower endsconnected to the downwardly extended lower end part ofthe upper shaft 26 and the'upwardly. extended upper end part of the lowershaft 40, by the universaljoints 43 and 44, respectively sothat the upper i and lower mechanisms can be connected with one displaced rearwardly of the other, asis usualjin relativelypositioninga counter-shaft to a machine. The'connecting shaft is preferably made in two sections, con

nected by a telescopicjoint 45, so that it, may be lengthened or shortened according.

to the height offthe counter-shaft above the machine, and to the amount of .rearwarddis placement of the countershaftL The casing 46 is of elongated box-like shape, with the lower :bar 33 extending through it from end to end, at the rear;thus supporting and guiding it. [The lower, rack 37, which is of about the same height as the bar 33 and lies along the front thereof; like the upperv rack 21 does along the: upper bar 20, extends into this casing through thebleft end thereof. 'Fixed to the 'back of the casing 46, and extending back therefrom, is the lower.beltrstirrup' 47, embracingrthe front stretch of the belt 24. v i

j The operating head 48 is arectangular block slidably mounted in the casing ,46

next to .the front thereof, with a spacerin the head 48, near the middle thereof, with a bearing-tube 52 tight in the headandpro jecting forward into the slot 5 O,so that the handle 51 is well supported forrotatiouand projects forwardly within easy reach of the operator of the machine. i I The right-hand end part of the rack 37 has, close to its loweredge,an extension 53 to the right, with an upstanding barb 54 from the upperedge of which the righthand end part of the extensioni53 is beveled down to the right. u j a The catclrplate' 55 comprises amain part 56 of substantially the same fI'OlltrtO rear thickness as the rack37andextending,

from top to bottom; of the casing 46', and

fixed thereto, behind the spacer-plate 49 at down.

the right-hand end of the casing L6, with its rear face against the lower bar 33. Extending from the left side of this main part- 56 toward the rack 37, is the extension 57, similar to the right-hand extension 53 of the rack 37, with the upstanding barb 58, and with the left end beveled down to the left; being thus presented inversely to the rack extension53.

The shank of the handle 51 has a reduced part 59 extending back nearly to the lower bar 33; and next to the back of the bearingtube 52 and: headetS it has the lifter- 6O pinned on it (Fig. 3) and-comprising oppositely extended arms 61 and 62, each with a slight concavity 63 in its upper edge. This lifter prevents displacement of the handle forwardly from the head 48. Behind this lifter. 60 two oppositely extending hooks 64 and 65 are pivoted on the extensionor reduced part. 59 of the handle shank; one having a reduced part which the other straddles, to fit on the part 59, and the righthand hook 64 having the depending barb 66 with its right-hand end beveledup from the lower edge of the barb, while the left hand hook 65 similarly has the depending barb 67 with its left-hand end beveled up from the lower edge of this barb. A spring 68, made of flat resilient metal, is bent in the form. of an arch, with opposite ends on the respective hook tops, and with its righthand end fixed to the top of the hook 6-4:. These hooks 64: and 65 are low enough to leave ample space for this spring 68 above them, under the top of the casing 46; although the spring may strike the casing top as' either hook is raised, thus being reinforced in its tendency tokeep both hooks In the fronts ofthe hooks 64 and 65 are pins 69 and 70, projecting forwardly, to be engaged by the concavities 63 in the upper edges of the lifter arms 61 and 62,

respectively, as the handle is given a partial rotation to the left or to the right.

The rack 37 has a pin 71 fixed in its top near its right-hand end, and the casing 46 has in its top alongitudinal slot 72 extending from near its left end considerably past its middle, with the rack pin 71 therein, to travel from one end to the other thereof. The top 46 of the casing 46 is preferably removable, being held on the lower parts of the casing by screws 73, thus admitting of ready machining of the interior surfaces of the casing, and of the ready assemblage of the parts therein, as well as convenient access thereto at any time for cleaning or repairs. The other parts of the casing 46 "may be made integral, as shown, including designed to mount the upper bar 20 parallel with the countershaft axis; and theupper rack 21,with the stirrup 22 around the bar 20, has a pair of studs 23 projected forward, with the upper belt-yoke 74: adjustable forwardly and rearwardly thereon to compensate for the' angle of shifting of the belt, which is received in the opening 75 in the middle of the yoke 74. The upper and lower boxes 25 and 35 and the connecting shaft 42, joints 43 and'A', and upper'and lower pinions 29 and 41 and their shafts 26 and 40' are substantially the same as in the previous example.

The lower bar 33 is mounted on brackets as and 36' to hold it parallel with the lower-pulley axis; and the lower rack 37' lies against its face and meshes with the pinion 41 as in the other example. The casing 46 embraces the bar .83 andrack 37; and on its back has rearwardly projected studs l7, with'the lower belt-yoke 7 6 adjustable forwardly and rearwardly thereon to compensate forthe angle of belt shift, with the belt received in its middle opening 77.

The top .of the casing 4-6 has a lengthwise slot 78 in its top, over the rack 37, and a handle 79 is extended through this slot and fastenedin the rack. A front handle 86 is fastened in the front of the casing 46 near its right-hand end, projecting forwardly.

With this modified shifter, to shift the belt tothe left,the front handle and casing 46 are moved to the left, shifting the lower part of the belt; and then the upper handle 79 and rack 37 are shifted to the leftend of the top casing slot 7 8, the right end of which reached the upper handle 7 9 during the operation by the front handle 80. This left-hand movement of'thelower rack 37 shifts the upper rack 21 to the left,through the medium of the pinions and connecting shaft, completing the shifting. The operation, by alternate use of the handles 7 9 and 80, is the same in shifting the belt from left to right, exceptthat the upper handle 7 9 is used first, and then the front handle .80. In any instance, the shifting of the belt any number of steps is a continuous operation for each handle 7 9 and 80 on pulleys of the usual moderate number of steps, so that there is no establishment of intermediate undesired speeds when shifting from a step to one remote therefrom, and there is no undesirable slackening of the belt during the shifting. r

The first example, of Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is preferred, because the operator need use only one handle 51, which is hooked, by means of either one of its hooks 6e and 65, to the catch-plate extension 57 for use as the front handle 80 is used in the second example, or to the rack extension 53 for use as the top handle 79 in the'second example. The handle 51, with-the operating head 48, may be quickly slid from either end of the casing 46 to the other, releasing its hook '(itor fi from the extension 57 or 53 by a simple twist of the handle 5 1 to left or right; and

autbmatically hooking onto either one of i I these extensions by the beveled hook ends riding upover the bevel-ended extension barbsas the handle is forced toward the rebe readily used to move'the casing 46, and the lower part of the belt 24 therewith, in Y either direction; the end "of the hook fii lfi'f abutting the main part of the catch plate'55 to move the casing to the right. Similarly, the'handle 51'may be used to move the rack 37-, and through the medium of the 'connecting mechanism, the upper part of the belt" inclusive, or the second example of Figs. 7, 8-

and 9,.the projectioninto the top casing slot, as the pin 71 in the slot 7 2, or the handle 7 9 in-the slot 78, acts as a gauge to govern the relative movements of the casing and lowerbelt part, and the rack and upper belt'part,

and" as an indicator to the operator in the,

35.? alternate use "of the two elements. Italso, of

course, prevents entire escape of'the rack from the casing; thus avoiding derangement oft'he' device. The slot is preferably made of length about one and one-half times the :width of the steps on the pulleys; permitting ample clearance of the belt leading-end and on-run of the belt following-end. r

The device of the second example of Figs.

7, 8 and 9, although requiring the use of two different handles, is simpler, and'may be preferred in some cases. p

It will be understood that thesecond example may embody the mountings inclined to the pulley axesand approximately parallel with the pulley-step corners, instead' of those exemplified in it; or the mounting may beparallel with the pulley axes in the first example. either example may be used in the other, either with or without the direction of guiding shown with the respective stirrup con structions; or these stirrups for the belts may be simply elongated to compensate for any discrepancy of direction between the shifter guides and the pulley axes.

Allshifting movements, in either example, are accomplished without establishing a GUI driving connection betweenthe pulleys at intermediate undesired steps. The-labor of 05.

sp'ective extension. The handle 51 may thus begin moving the upper end in the same di- Or 'the stirrup construction of shifting is thus less thanwhereeach passed pair 'of'steps has the 'belt tightened thereon only to beforced off for'the next step toward the desiredposition; and the wear on. the belt and the machine parts,as well as on the shifting device, is less. Also, because the belt at no time during the shifting becomes very' slack, it/is'not exposed. to injury, as by dipping itslower end'in'to oil, which is frequently found accumulated: in a machine below the pulley; and by being kept less slack, the chances of injury to the operator are lessened. The entire de; vice'is' characterized by an absence of projecting parts and of complicated mechanism; so that it is thus safer, less expensive andmorereadily kept in order, and does not hinder the workof the machine operator; i i 1 Variations other than those exemplified or instanced herein may be desirable in adaptingour invention to variousmachines, or under. varying conditions of use, and therefore, while certain constructional deg tails are deemed preferable in connection with our invention,- nd we have shown and described these rather specifically in elucidating the construction and'use of our inven tion, as is required, we do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise. showing and description, but having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis: I p

1. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting member's, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting the respective members, oneelement slidably overlapping the other in belt shi'fting direction, one element having engaging means spaced apart in belt-shifting direction, and

theother element having aprojection be tween saidengaging means, a handle slidable on one of said elementsin' belt-shifting direction, and means whereby said handle may be non-slid'ablyconnected to either one of'said elements. r

2. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, a casing 'operatively c'onnecte'd'] to one of said members, having a slotextending in belt-shifting direction, an element operatively connected to the other member and slidably extending into' said casing parallel with said slot, a projection on said elementprojecting into said slot, a handle direction, elements operatively connected to slidablein saidcasing parallel with'said slot, and means whereby 'said' handle may be connected to said element or non-slidably connected to said casing. r y

3. In a bel-t shifter, two" belt-shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, elements operative'ly connected toconnected toeither one of said elements.

4:. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said members" and guiding said members in belt-shitting direction, a casing operatively connected to one of said members, an element operatively connected to the other member and slidably extending into said casing-in belt-shifting direction, a handle, and means whereby said handle may be connected to said element or non slidably connected tosaid casing.

5. In .a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, elements operatively connected to the respective members, oneelement slidably overlapping the other in belt-shifting direc tion, a handle slidable on one of said elements inibelt-shifting direction, engaging means on the respective elements, having inversely presented receiving ends, hooks pivoted on said handle and extending toward the respective engaging means to ride on said receiving ends until the hooks retentively engage with the respective engaging means, and means connected "to said handle and engaging with said hooks, whereby either one of said hooks may be disengaged from the respective one of said engaging means.

6. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shitting direction, elements operatively connected to the respective members, one element slidably overlapping the other in belt-shifting direction, a handle slidable on one of said elements in belt-shifting direction, engaging means on the respective elements, having inversely presented receiving ends, hooks pivoted on said handle and extending toward the respective engaging means to ride on said receiving ends until the hooks retentively engage with the respective engaging means, means connected to said handle and engaging with said hooks, whereby either one of said hooks may be disengaged from the respective one of said engaging means, and yieldable means engaging with said hooks to hold them in engagement with said engaging means.

7. In a belt-shifter, two belt shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, elements operatively connected to the respective members, one element slidably overlapping the other in belt-shifting direction, a head slidable on one of said elements in belt-shifting direction, a handle rotatable in said head, engaging means on the respectiveelements, hooks pivotally mounted on said head to retentively engage with the engaging means of the respective elements, and means rotatable with said handle and engaging with said hooks, whereby either one of said hooks may be disengaged from the respective one of said engaging means.

' 8. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shitting members, means: supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shitting direction, a casing operatively connected to one of said members, having a slot extending in belt-shifting direction, a rack slidably extending into said casing parallel with said slot, a'projection on said 'rack projecting into said slot, a handle slidable in said casing parallel with saidv slot, means whereby said handle may be connected to said rack or non-slidably connected to said casing, a rack operatively connected to the other one of said members, a shaft, and pinions fixed on said shaft and meshing with respective ones of said racks.

9. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, a casing operatively connected to one of said members, a rack slidably extending into said casing in belt-shifting direction, a handle slidable in said casing in beltshifting direction, means whereby said handle may be connected to said rack or nonslidably connected to said casing, a rack opconnected to the other one of said members,

a shaft, and pinions fixed on said shaft and meshing with respective ones of said racks.

11. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, a casing operatively connected to one of said members, having a slot extending in beltshifting direction, a rack slidably extending into said casing parallel with said slot, a projection on said rack projecting into said slot, means for alternatively applying manual effort to said casing or said rack directly in belt-shifting direction, a rack operatively connected to the other one of said members, a shaft, and pinions fixed on said shaft and meshing with respective ones of said racks.

12. In a belt-shifter, two belt-shifting members, means supporting said'members and guiding said members in belt-shifting direction, elements operatively connected to the respective members, one element slidably overlapping the vother in belt-shifting direction, one element having engaging means spaced apart in belt shifting direction a distance materially greater than the Width of any' steps on cone-pulleys Wlth'WhlCh said shifteri is to beused, and the other element having a projection between said engaging means, and means foralternatively apply ing'manualeffortlto said elements directly in-belt-shifting direction. 7

130111 a belt-shifter, two belt shifting mechanisms, a'single handle, andmeansto connect said handle to either one of said mechanisms, for alternatively applying man ual operative effort to saidmechanisms di' rectly in shifting direction;

14. In combination with mated stepped pulleysanda belt to run on different'pair of steps of said'p'ulleys, a shifter for said belt c omprising'members engaging said belt near the respective pulleys, means for alternatively applying manual operative effort to said members directly in belt-shifting direc tion, and means whereby each fone of said i members moves the other member 1n sh fting direction after a shifting movement through a distance materially greater than theividth of any step of .said'pulleys and independently of said other member.

15: In combination with mated stepped pulleys and-a beltto run on different pairs ofste-ps of said pulleys, a shiftercompris ing "means for first advancing-said-b elt from a larger step of one oulley materially beyonda smaller st'ep ons'aid' pulley, and'then reached GEORGEJ. HAUSlVIANf ALBERT- J2 JONES. 

